| Date and venue | Title |
|---|---|
| 14-Jun-2012 Barbican Centre: Hall | Funeral music from Purcell and Bruckner frames Pires' magical Mozart |
 The brass, winds and percussion of the LSO opened the concert with a powerful, dramatic rendition of Purcell’s Music for the funeral of Queen Mary, arranged to sharpen the effect for modern ears by Steven Stucky. It is a piece for public mourning, and the great strokes on the timpani and bass drum bring to mind those fireman’s funeral strokes that introduce the finale of Mahler’s Tenth Symphony, but with an added kaleidoscope of colours provided by xylophones, tubular bells and piano.Read full review... | |
| 9-Mar-2012 Konzerthaus: Großer Saal | Budapest Festival Orchestra offer a blast of fresh Bruckner |
 This concert saw the Budapest Festival Orchestra reduced to a period ensemble of fewer than ten musicians plus soloists for Bach’s cantata ‘Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht’, and after the interval packed closely together as they filled the large stage of the Konzerthaus with forces well in excess of the not-insignificant minimum required for a big Bruckner symphony. Bigger isn’t necessarily better, but after the rather scrappy Bach it was a rare delight to hear a fresher sound working to unexpectedly magnificent effect in Bruckner’s Seventh.
Read full review... | |
| 2-Feb-2012 Southbank Centre: Royal Festival Hall | Mendelssohn and Bruckner from Steinbacher, Masur & the Philharmonia |
 This was a programme that presented what are probably each of its composers' most popular works, played by one of London’s very best orchestras, under the direction of one of Europe’s most venerable and respected conductors. Add to that the winning presence of a young and vibrant soloist, and it is not surprising that the concert was well attended. And on the whole the concert delivered what it promised.Read full review... | |
| 7-Dec-2011 Birmingham Symphony Hall | The delights of the CBSO and Poul Ruders. Beginning with an ending... |
 ... The ending of Symphony no. 4 by Poul Ruders, to be precise – or, just as well, the ending of the first half of this concert. Regardless of what and when, it was stunning!Read full review... | |
